DE2453173

A method for producing mercaptan terminated liquid polymers which are curable to solid polysulfides wherein a liquid polymer having from two to four functional olefinic double bonds is reacted, in the presence of an alkaline initiator but substantially in the absence of molecular nitrogen, with an organic compound containing at least two mercaptan groups, or a liquid polymer having at least two terminal mercaptan groups, or hydrogen sulfide. There is also disclosed mercaptan terminated polymers having the following formula: xzOO ¦¦ PARALLEL PARALLEL (HS)m-R-S-C-C-(A)-C-NH-R'-NH-C-O n-R''- ¦¦ yH tr ¦¦ C-C-S-R-(SH)m p ¦¦ Hs IN WHICH EACH OF X, Y AND Z IS HYDROGEN, HYDROCARBON, ALKOXY, PHENOXY, OR HALOGENATED DERIVATIVES THEREOF; EACH OF R, S AND T IS HYDROGEN OR LOWER ALKYL; M IS AN INTEGER BETWEEN 1 AND 2; N IS AN INTEGER BETWEEN 1 AND 4; P IS AN INTEGER FROM 0 TO 3; THE SUM OF N AND P IS BETWEEN 2 AND 4; R' is a divalent organic radical; R'' is the backbone of a liquid polymer precursor; R is the grouping of the polymercapto organic compound R-(SH)m+1; and A is the fragment or grouping of an organic olefinic precursor compound having an active hydrogen: zx ¦¦ H-A-C=C ¦ y The cured polysulfides made from the mercaptan terminated liquid polymers, said cured polysulfides having the following structure: xzOO ¦¦ PARALLEL PARALLEL -(S-S)m/2-R-S-C-C-(A)-C-NH-R'-NH-C-O- n- ¦¦ yH tr ¦¦ R''- C-C-S-R-(S-S)m/2- p ¦¦ Hs WHEREIN M, N, P, X, Y, Z, R, S, T, A, R, R' and R'' have the same significances as set forth above.